ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — In an intense face-off, the Buffalo Bills clinched a 30-21 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, marking the first loss of the season for the two-time defending Super Bowl champions. Josh Allen made a remarkable fourth-down run for a 26-yard touchdown with just 2:17 remaining, sealing the game for Buffalo.
Buffalo (9-2) is now just one game behind Kansas City (9-1) in their quest for the top seed in the AFC standings. James Cook was instrumental in the win, scoring two rushing touchdowns, while Allen also connected with Curtis Samuel for a 12-yard touchdown pass.
The Chiefs had been the last undefeated team in the NFL, relying on their skill to win close games and come back in the second half. They had enjoyed a remarkable 15-game winning streak, which included playoff matches, since their last defeat against the Las Vegas Raiders on December 17, 2023.
This victory is particularly significant for the Bills, who have now won six consecutive games, bringing them closer to securing their sixth straight AFC East title. Despite this regular-season success against the Chiefs, having defeated them in four consecutive meetings, Kansas City holds the advantage in playoff encounters, winning the last three since 2020. Given their respective performances, a potential rematch in the postseason is highly anticipated.
The stadium erupted with chants of “MVP!” for Allen as replays of his thrilling touchdown played on the videoboard. Decisions by Bills coach Sean McDermott to push for the fourth-and-2 conversion instead of opting for a field goal paid off, as Allen faked a pass before navigating through two Chiefs defenders to reach the end zone.
Despite battling a sore throwing hand—examined on the sidelines during the game—Allen was effective, completing 27 of 40 passes for 262 yards, adding the rushing touchdown and throwing one interception. This rushing touchdown marked the 58th of his career, moving him into second place in Bills history, just one ahead of O.J. Simpson and seven behind Thurman Thomas. His two touchdowns on the day also allowed him to tie Jim Kelly for the most career touchdowns in team history, with a total of 244.
Buffalo’s defense played a crucial role in the final moments, as linebacker Terrel Bernard intercepted Patrick Mahomes during a tense final drive for the Chiefs. Mahomes finished the game completing 23 of 33 passes for 196 yards, hitting tight end Noah Gray for two touchdowns and Xavier Worthy for another, but he suffered two interceptions.
In their last meeting, which ended in a narrow 27-24 victory for the Chiefs during last January’s divisional playoff, the teams exchanged leads five times. On Sunday, they traded leads four times in the first half alone. Cook’s two touchdowns before halftime enabled Buffalo to take a 16-14 lead into the break, which they maintained after kicker Tyler Bass nailed a 33-yard field goal to close the second quarter.
While this game was billed as a showdown between two of the NFL’s premier quarterbacks, it proved to be more of a defensive battle for much of the contest, with both teams exchanging seven punts in mild conditions with temperatures hovering in the high 40s. The Bills extended their lead to 23-14 just over two minutes into the fourth quarter thanks to Allen’s 10-play, 83-yard drive capped by a short pass to Samuel, who evaded a defender to score.
Mahomes then rallied the Chiefs, leading a 10-play, 70-yard drive, culminating in a 1-yard touchdown catch by Gray with 7:53 left on the clock. Throughout the season, the Chiefs had shown remarkable resilience, winning their first nine games by a total margin of 58 points, with four of them concluding with dramatic plays at the end. Their recent victory over Denver, for instance, saw a blocked field goal attempt by Leo Chenal as time expired.
Names and Numbers
The matchup was notable as just the fifth encounter since 1970 in Week 11 or earlier between teams boasting eight or more wins. Additionally, Bills DE Von Miller made a mark with a sack, placing him in 17th place on the NFL’s all-time list with 127 1/2 sacks, exceeding Derrick Thomas by one and trailing Rickey Jackson by half a sack.
Injuries
Bills: WR Amari Cooper made his return after a two-game absence due to a left wrist injury. Starting RT Spencer Brown was sidelined due to an ankle injury.
Up Next
Chiefs: They will head to Carolina next Sunday.
Bills: After a bye week, they will host San Francisco on December 1st.
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